A small thorn in your soul
James 1:21 “Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls.”
I'm sure many of us have experienced getting a small thorn prick or a sliver in one of our fingers. It can be so small that we barely notice it, and it certainly doesn't cause us a great amount of pain. It is sometimes just a prickling. I remember once that I had a small piece of a thorn break off in my finger. It was too difficult to remove, so I left it there, thinking it was no big deal. The problem is, my was now sending throbbing pain through my entire hand whenever I had to use it. So, I finally took a needle from my wife’s knitting box and began the painful process of removing the thorn. When I finally got it out, even though I had to cut into my skin a bit, I felt immediately relieved.
Our anger, wrath, disappointment or any type of bitterness against someone or something works in a similar way to that small thorn in our finger. Those harsh feelings inside us have a negative impact on ourselves and our spiritual growth. We might not sense the unpleasant sentiments but they remain deep down in our soul and prevent us from getting close to God. It is true that letting go of those feelings is not an easy process at all. It takes many days or months as well as a lot of patience. But when we do, we find inexplicable peace and relaxation, because God, who sees our hearts, will touch our souls, and fill us with His peace.
June 1
Sign yourself off
Ps 28: 7 "The LORD is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts; so I am helped, and my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him."
Last year, I met a young couple at a hospital where I was doing my chaplaincy. They had a 5 year old boy who had brain damage and was in a critical condition. They were not Christians, but appreciated my prayers for their son. One day, I was paged to visit the patient, so I rushed into the room. Then I saw that the son was about to go for a surgery, and the father was reading all the medical forms for the operation.I could see that he was nervous and his signing hand was slightly trembling. After all the paper work, he looked at me and said, "It's the first time I feel like my boy is not in my control, but in someone else's hand." The couple asked me to pray for their son and the surgical treatment. After long hours, the operation was successfully done and the boy was transferred into a recovery room.
Experiencing God and his help in your life requires you to do willful action - trust in Him. This doesn't simply mean your understanding or knowledge of God's power, or emotional appreciation of the things that He did for you in the past. Trusting in God takes the whole part of who you are; you sign off your will, plan and thought, completely bring those to God. You're no longer in control, but in his hand. You might aks, "How do I know if I wholly trust in God?" When you do, you feel a mysterious peacefulness inside you. Your heart is full of joy and thankfulness for God and for your life, because you don't need to worry about anything, but wait and see what God would do for you.
May 25th
Living a powerful life.
Mt 3:16-17 "And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him."
We often use or hear the term "powerful life." As Christians we can live a powerful life everyday. What does it mean to be living a powerful life? Does it mean that whenever we pray, it will be answered or that we can see what's going to happen in the future? Or that powerful living means being able to get rid of evil spirits? But we see that our prayers are not always answered, we can't predict the future, and certainly we're not all exorcists. How can we live such a life then? I found a possible answer simply when I overheard a conversation between a son and his mother in a market. While they were looking at the wide variety of toothpastes, the mom asked the son which one he would like. Then he picked up one specific brand of toothpaste and made a joke, "Mom, this one is powerful. It is well designed and you can squeeze it all the way through to use even the last drop."
Each one of us is uniquely designed by God for His purpose. There is no other person who has the same or even similar life as you do. Who you are and what you are supposed to do with your life was designed by God and He wants you to live for that purpose. The Holy Spirit came upon Jesus, when he was being baptized as a human in order to fulfill His mission on earth. Living a powerful life is not measured by how you feel about what you do or who you are, but it is acquired when you recognize your life is meant to be revealing and glorifying to His name, and God will provide you with everything you need to fulfill that purpose. God will use you all the way through who you are and what you have been through.
May 11th
Let go of the pain
Mt: 5:23-24 "So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift.
While teaching the bible my pastor friend asked his church members, "Is there anyone here who you do not hate?" No one responded to the questions, except for a 95 year old lady who raised her hand and said, "I don't hate anyone." Everyone turned and looked at her with a curious smile. She went on to say, "I did have many whom I hated before but since I have lived for 95 years, they all died." Everyone chuckled with amusement. Then the old lady added, "That's why I'm sad. I lost all of my chances to forgive them and let go of the pain in heart
Forgiving others is hard to do if we only consider its benefit to those who is pardoned. However, such a gracious act is for your sake not theirs. You create a secure relationship with God when you do right by your neighbors. You bring God's precious blessing into your life when practicing His tough command; when you let go of the bitterness and negative feelings towards those who hurt you, God will definitely come and fulfill your heart with His peace and love. He will listen to your prayers and answer your wishes. He knows how hard it is to smile at someone even though they are scowling at you. That's why our Lord wants to come and comfort your wounded heart. Let your unpleasant sentiments leave you and let God's hand touch your heart.
May 4th
See your life from God's point of view
2 Cor 4:17 "For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure."
In baseball, there is a special type of technique called a "sacrificial bunt." It is a batter's act of deliberately moving a runner on base to advance to a scoring position while the batter might lose his chance to safely reach base. It is not credited with a "sacrificial bunt," if the batter attempts to bunt for a base hit, not solely to advance the runner to next base. The technique is needed if winning a game is a matter of scoring one or two points. The batter who does the bunt personally loses some point at batting average but contributes a great opportunity for his team to win the game.
When Jesus died on the cross, it might have looked to others that he failed. Did he? Throughout human history, there were many times that Christians were persecuted and killed by governments or anti-Christian groups. Was God unsuccessful in building His kingdom in this world? It may look that way if we only contemplate the specific moment. But today Christianity has prevailed over all other religions and will continue to win.
There might be times in your life that what you do doesn't really produce a satisfactory result as you expect. Rather it seems failed or far behind reaching its goal compared to others. You're faithful to God and trust His words. You believe that God will take care of what you do or plan to do, but it appears that your life does not show any sign of moving forward. So, does it mean that you've failed or your faith in God is not enough? It may look that way if you hold onto a specific moment of your life. But you should know that from the whole point of your life - which is God's point of view, you have been advancing to next level. God has plans for you and His technique to reach the goal never fails. Don't just focus on one point of your life, but see it from His view. Then you will clearly see that God's power has been everywhere you've been and you're going toward the victory.
Apirl 27th
Kingdome first
Mt 6:33 "He will give you all you need from day to day if you live for him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern."
I went to Kings Canyon with my family last year. It was a very major trip that I took with my two energetic kids. I had hoped that the 6 day vacation would be rejuvenating for me and my wife and also give my family a time to bond with each other. But my expectations turned out to be way off from reality. Instead of enjoying the sight seeing around the natural environment, my wife and I spent most of time dealing with the kids' safety, hunger, and of course the call of nature. Besides, I was sort of frustrated to see that they didn't really care where they were, but were more excited about playing in the bathtub at the hotel room than the national park. My wife and I found ourselves doing the same routines that we always do at our home. Did we totally waste the vacation? Not really. At least we could enjoy breathing the fresh air and clearly watching the numerous stars after the kids went to bed. Besides I learned a valuable lesson: no road trip until the kids are old enough to ignore the call of nature.
We often lose focus on what we are doing and why we are doing it, while keeping our responsibilities as an employee, friend, parent, or church leader. These are legitimate things we're supposed to do in order to secure our position in society. Doing these things and many more can all too quickly become the center of attention, and make us overlook our main focus. We all know that God knows our situation, and takes care of us, so that we should not worry about anything. Do you? We worry because we're losing the primary thing that we should focus on - our life is for God and His salvific works. You do your best with your work, because God wants to reveal His love and glory to the world through you, and He never fails. God will provide you everything in order to do His work. So, you should not worry.
Is your life full with a hectic schedule? Why don't you take a short break now and refocus: what you're doing now is for God and He will never fail to take care of you.
April 13th
Silent clock
Ps 62:5 "For God alone my soul waits in silence, for my hope is from Him"
One time my wife took our kids to her parents' house in San Diego, and stayed there for a few days. I enjoyed being at home alone for the first time in many months. To take the maximum advantage of this rare quietness, the first thing I did was take a nap without being interrupted by my kids. I had just bought a new mattress for Jayden, my oldest son, and wanted to check if it was firm enough and comfortable, so I decided to nap there. But when I closed my eyes and tried to sleep, I could perceive a faint sound emitting on a regular pattern. I didn't know what it was, and it seemed to be getting louder as I was trying to sleep. Finally, I couldn't take it anymore and thus opened my eyes to find out what the sound was and where it came from. Then I realized that the sound was the ticking of a clock hanging on the wall. I bought the clock a few years ago at Disneyland and had never heard the sound and didn't even know it made the sound. I could only hear the dim sound in the complete silence of the room, which would never be true on any normal day.
God often uses quietness to give you His message. When the Lord has a specific plan for you to clearlyunderstand, He might put you in silent circumstances to make sure that you can hear His voice. Something that you wouldn't be able to do on busy days. You might feel like you're far away from your loved ones who would usually contact you through phone call or email. but in such stillness, God might want to speak to you and reveal to you His secret plans. Instead of breaking the silence, enjoy it and listen to what God tells you with His subtle voice.
March 30th
Follow Him Mt 4:19 "And he said to them(Peter and Andrew), follow me, and I will make you fishers of men."
I
still remember my first year in elementary school. My dad would hold my hand in his and walk me to my school. Since the location of the school was within walking distance, we didn't take any transportation but walked together. I remember that we passed through a small grocery shop, a strawberry farm, and a traffic light. Since we lived in a small country town, most of the road was not well paved, and there was no clear division between sidewalk and the roadway. Every time a car was coming, my dad stopped walking and held me tight right next to him until it drove away. He would always say, "Jay, keep holding my hand, and follow daddy. Then, you will safely get to the school on time. Okay?"
Once we confess Jesus as our Savor, following the Lord becomes our day by day journey. In Sunday school, small group, or worship, we've heard and learned about the details of how we can be the true followers of Jesus. So, are you following Jesus? I would like to rephrase it, "are you a true follower of Jesus?"
When telling Peter "Follow me," I am not sure if the Lord commanded Peter, who barely even knew who He was, to follow all the details of the spiritual trainings and gospel teachings that would be required to be His disciple. Or if Jesus warned him about the upcoming hard times. Maybe, maybe not, but I do know that He expected complete trust. Our foremost initiative act in following Jesus is to understand that He is our ultimate guide and will lead us to become who we're supposed to be.
You might be surprised by encountering some unexpected event in your life, but God isn't. He sees the rough bumpy roads and deep holes laid ahead, and will guide you through. God already knows all the spots where you should stop and begin to walk. As long as you put your trust in the Lord, and believe His lead. God will make you the one who you should be in time, so you don't need to be hesitant, because God isn't. Are you following Jesus now?
March 24th
Not temporary but permanent Mt 11:28 "come to me. All of you who labor and carry heavy burden, I will give you rest.
A few weeks ago, I had an embarrassing experience because of my ignorance on my tooth. The pain in one of my lower bottom teeth was so excruciating that I couldn't even drive myself to a dentist office. So, what happened? I called 911 and a police officer took me to a dentist office. As soon as I got to the office, I was rushed into a room, skipping all the time-consuming paperwork, and given a shot of Novocain. After getting the shot, I felt so relaxed it was as if there was no such pain ever in my tooth. Now, truthfully, I had found a tiny hole in the tooth and felt a slight pain a few months ago. But I ignored it and felt it was ok since the pain seemed to go away when I took pain pills. But the pills only numbed the pain temporarily like the novocaine functioned while the condition of the tooth was getting worse and worse. I just didn't feel it.
When encountering an unsettling event, you might have talked to your family or friends or taken a walk in order to let go of the negative feelings of bitterness inside you. But then the feeling would flash through your mind later and would keep bothering you. Is it possible for you to find a person who will really listen to your issues and feel the same degree of pain or distress that you feel? I doubt it. There is no such person. That's why Jesus says to you, "come to me," and "rest in me." He is only one who knows exactly what you have been through and what you really need. Our savior wants to touch your scar and heal you when no others are able to. Don't let your pain deepen your wounded heart. Bring it to the Lord and let Him take care of it. The only thing you can do is not worry, because.
March 16th
Butterfly effect
James 3:4-5 "Or look at ships: though they are so large that it takes strong winds to drive them, yet they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great exploits. How great a forest is set ablaze by a small fire."
The butterfly effect is a theory that the flapping of one small butterfly's wing might create tiny changes in the atmosphere which could ultimately alter the path of a tornado in another location. Is it possible? We have already seen the possibility in the democratic movements in Middle East. It began with a 25 year old young man in Tunisia who killed himself, because of the high unemployment rate. After graduating college, because he couldn't find a job, the young man started to sell fruit as a street vendor. However, he had to forfeit his vendor to the corrupted police because he failed to pay bribes to them. Knowing the cause of his death, the people got furious against the government. Finally, the dictator who ruled the country with an iron fist for 23 years fled to another country. And it is having a ripple effect on the whole Middle East. I'm NOT praising the young man's suicidal action or stirring any type of protest against government. But I simply put a highlight on the fact that our simple deeds could have strong ripple effects and have a huge impact.
We often ignore how small things we do could impact the course of our and others' lives. Our unnoticed habits could play a major role in making our lives successful or not. The CEO of Samsung, which is one of the top conglomerates in the world, was asked about the origin of his ideas and leadership to lead the company. He simply said, "I'm taking a walk every day." You might be searching for a way to make your business successful or make your life better. Then I will simply ask you, "What is your small rudder or fire?" Ask God to help you see if there is any small thing in your life you've ignored that needs to be improved or fixed. God will use the little thing you have and make it great.
March 2rh
A mountain will move?
Mt. 17:20 "He said to them, "Because of your little faith. For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you."
Every once in a while, I am asked these common, difficult questions: "If God represents love and mercy, why did God command the Israelites, in the Old Testament, to kill all their enemies, including the young boys and girls?" or, "If Judas was predestined to betray Jesus, and Jesus already knew about it, then why didn't He stop him?" Well, these types of questions have always been controversial as long as Christianity has existed. Honestly, I am not really convinced myself that I have answers that would satisfy everyone. Maybe if you're a religious philosopher, you can explain in a dialectical method or some similar way. But I want to tell you, that way has also been tried by numerous people, but only other philosophers are able to understand it. So, instead of finding the answer in that complicated way, I would like to raise a question. Can all the mysterious events in the Bible be clearly explained with any intellectual investigation? With this question in mind, I want you to think of Mt. 17:20.
We often tend to understand this verse in light of our perception of "moving," which is visual and physical. We think of God blessing us with His great material blessings, or showing us miraculous things in our lives, so we all know that God is doing something great. Yes, God is able to do that. However, that is a shallow understanding of the passage.There is a much deeper meaning than that. You will understand that there are things impossible to explain, when you have even a small faith in God.
It is not possible to reason out how the earth was created by God, or how Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary. We can even extend this to our lives: "Why do good people have to suffer?" or "Why do I need to be alone and lonely?" The Bible is full of mysteries, and so are our lives. One thing I can say about this, that unless we see it with our faith in God, the scripture seems to even contain many false ideas and our lives are not fair. Before tryingto find an answer about all those mystical or inexplicable biblical accounts, see to it that if you truly believe in Christ. If the Son of God is your only Savior, then, God will help you move the doubt from your heart and fill it instead with His Spiritual understanding. After that, you will see with your spiritual eyes that a mountain will move. Our faith is based on believing, not explaning. I believe God made that event happen for a good reason. This simple answer is all I can give.